Jim Davis

Mr. DAVIS of Florida

Mr. DAVIS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, the proponents of the tax cut have justified the remarkable difference in benefits by the job growth that is not predicted by the charts the gentleman just showed. So I think it is important to go back and talk about the disparity. As I understand it, if the gentleman or I were to make $1 million, and certainly we, like every American, dream of achieving that level of wealth some day, we will receive an average tax cut of about $95,000 under this tax cut. So if the gentleman makes $1 million, he will get about a $95,000 tax cut. Most regular Americans are, on the other hand, going to get an average of I think about $100 or less on the tax cut. I would ask the gentleman, is that correct?

Mr. DAVIS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. DAVIS of Florida. A lot of citizens and taxpayers from my home in Florida are confused about this tax cut. They have said to me, at a minimum, tell us the truth. It has been described as a $350 billion tax cut. On that basis, the proponents of the tax cut have said that we are taking a responsible approach to the deficit. That in fact is not the case. As I understand it, this is really a tax cut in excess of $1 trillion. Could the gentleman explain what the truth is? The public is at least entitled to know the truth about the size of the tax cut.

Mr. DAVIS of Florida

Mr. DAVIS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise in honor of Marvin Davies, a longtime civil rights leader in Florida who recently lost his life to cancer. Davies began his battle for equality at an early age. By the time he was a college student at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, Davies was participating in protests with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and boycotts in Tallahassee, St. Augustine and Montgomery, Alabama. Chosen as Student of the Year, he graduated from FAMU ranked second in his class. At age 32, Davies was offered the position of Field Secretary for Florida's NAACP. He served Florida's 138 NAACP branches for seven years and became a leader in the fight for equal opportunities for all Americans in employment, schools, hospitals and all other public places. Later, Davies served as a special assistant and advisor to Senator Bob Graham during his terms as Florida Governor and U.S. Senator, and worked as the state coordinator of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Foundation. Throughout his entire career, Davies was a public voice for minorities and improving the lives of young people in minority communities. However, the people of St. Petersburg will remember him best for his work in our community. In 1968, Davies returned to St. Petersburg in support of city sanitation workers who were on strike for better wages and benefits. He served on the Coalition of African-American Leadership, created following the St. Petersburg city riots in 1996, as well as the Citizens Advisory Commission, appointed by the Clinton Administration to oversee the federal assistance to the city after the civil unrest. On behalf of the Tampa Bay area, I extend my deepest sympathies to Marvin Davies's family and friends. His life work will never be forgotten.

Mr. DAVIS of Florida

Mr. DAVIS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise in honor of four brave soldiers from the Tampa Bay area who lost their lives while serving our country in Iraq. These four men went to war to protect us and our liberty and ultimately gave their lives to preserve our inalienable rights. On April 3, Staff Sgt. Wilbert Davis, 40, of the 3rd Battalion, 69th Armor, 3rd Infantry Division, died when his vehicle ran off the road as he was driving journalist Michael Kelly to Baghdad. A native of Tampa, Davis grew up in College Hill, pitched for the Belmont Heights Little League team, all the way to the World Series, and graduated from Tampa Bay Tech High School. A devoted husband and father of four, friends and family recall how dedicated Davis was to service. Joining the Army in 1985, he served in the Persian Gulf War and in Bosnia, Kosovo, Korea and Germany. Just one day later, Tampa lost Sgt. First Class Paul R. Smith, 33, of the 11th Engineer Battalion. Also a graduate of Tampa Bay Tech, Smith knew early on that he wanted to serve as a professional soldier and raise a family. This husband and father of two enlisted right out of high school and served in the Gulf War, Bosnia and Kosovo. A man who is remembered for his dedication to the soldiers he led, Smith has been nominated for the prestigious Medal of Honor for saving dozens of lives before losing his own. During a surprise Iraqi assault, Smith died while manning a .50-caliber machine to fend off the attackers. On April 7, Lance Cpl. Andrew Julian Aviles, 18, of the 4th Assault Amphibian Battalion, 4th Marine Division, was killed when an enemy artillery round struck his amphibious assault vehicle. A young man with an infectious sense of humor and a promising future in store, Aviles was the student government president of Robinson High School, played on the football and wrestling teams and graduated third in his class. A member of JROTC, Aviles passed up a full academic scholarship to Florida State University to enlist because he felt an obligation to serve his country. On April 17, another bright future was lost when Cpl. John T. Rivero, 23, of the Florida National Guard's C Company, 2nd Battalion, 124th Infantry Regiment was killed when his Humvee overturned on a mission with Special Forces. A computer science and engineering student at USF, Rivero grew up in Gainesville and joined the Guard in 1998. He was promoted to Corporal during his service in the Middle East. Friends and family remember his big smile and even bigger heart and talk about his dedication to doing his best at everything he tried. On behalf of the Tampa Bay community, I would like to extend my deepest sympathies to the families and friends of these four courageous soldiers. These men shared a dedication to the ideals that have made this country great. Their bravery and patriotism makes us all proud, and we will never forget their sacrifice.

Mr. DAVIS of Florida

Mr. DAVIS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise in honor of four brave soldiers from the Tampa Bay area who lost their lives while serving our country in Iraq. These four men went to war to protect us and our liberty and ultimately gave their lives to preserve our inalienable rights. On April 3, Staff Sgt. Wilbert Davis, 40, of the 3rd Battalion, 69th Armor, 3rd Infantry Division, died when his vehicle ran off the road as he was driving journalist Michael Kelly to Baghdad. A native of Tampa, Davis grew up in College Hill, pitched for the Belmont Heights Little League team, all the way to the World Series, and graduated from Tampa Bay Tech High School. A devoted husband and father of four, friends and family recall how dedicated Davis was to service. Joining the Army in 1985, he served in the Persian Gulf War and in Bosnia, Kosovo, Korea and Germany. Just one day later, Tampa lost Sgt. First Class Paul R. Smith, 33, of the 11th Engineer Battalion. Also a graduate of Tampa Bay Tech, Smith knew early on that he wanted to serve as a professional soldier and raise a family. This husband and father of two enlisted right out of high school and served in the Gulf War, Bosnia and Kosovo. A man who is remembered for his dedication to the soldiers he led, Smith has been nominated for the prestigious Medal of Honor for saving dozens of lives before losing his own. During a surprise Iraqi assault, Smith died while manning a .50-caliber machine to fend off the attackers. On April 7, Lance Cpl. Andrew Julian Aviles, 18, of the 4th Assault Amphibian Battalion, 4th Marine Division, was killed when an enemy artillery round struck his amphibious assault vehicle. A young man with an infectious sense of humor and a promising future in store, Aviles was the student government president of Robinson High School, played on the football and wrestling teams and graduated third in his class. A member of JROTC, Aviles passed up a full academic scholarship to Florida State University to enlist because he felt an obligation to serve his country. On April 17, another bright future was lost when Cpl. John T. Rivero, 23, of the Florida National Guard's C Company, 2nd Battalion, 124th Infantry Regiment was killed when his Humvee overturned on a mission with Special Forces. A computer science and engineering student at USF, Rivero grew up in Gainesville and joined the Guard in 1998. He was promoted to Corporal during his service in the Middle East. Friends and family remember his big smile and even bigger heart and talk about his dedication to doing his best at everything he tried. On behalf of the Tampa Bay community, I would like to extend my deepest sympathies to the families and friends of these four courageous soldiers. These men shared a dedication to the ideals that have made this country great. Their bravery and patriotism makes us all proud, and we will never forget their sacrifice.

Mr. DAVIS of Florida

Mr. DAVIS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise in honor of Marvin Davies, a longtime civil rights leader in Florida, who lost his life to cancer last month. Davies began his battle for equality at an early age. By the time he was a college student at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, Davies was participating in protests with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and boycotts in Tallahassee, St. Augustine and Montgomery, Alabama. Chosen as Student of the Year, he graduated from FAMU ranked second in his class. At age 32, Davies was offered the position of Field Secretary for Florida's NAACP. He served Florida's 138 NAACP branches for seven years and became a leader in the fight for equal opportunities for all Americans in employment, schools, hospitals and all other public places. Later, Davies served as a special assistant and advisor to Senator Bob Graham during his terms as Florida Governor and U.S. Senator, and worked as the state coordinator of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Foundation. Throughout his entire career, Davies was a public voice for minorities and improving the lives of young people in minority communities. However, the people of St. Petersburg will remember him best for his work in our community. In 1968, Davies returned to St. Petersburg in support of city sanitation workers who were on strike for better wages and benefits. He served on the Coalition of African-American Leadership, created following the St. Petersburg city riots in 1996, as well as the Citizens Advisory Commission, appointed by the Clinton Administration to oversee the Federal assistance to the city after the civil unrest. On behalf of the Tampa Bay area, I extend my deepest sympathies to Marvin Davies' family and friends. His life work will never be forgotten.

Mr. DAVIS of Florida

Mr. DAVIS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, this bill tonight, while a welcome step, will leave by the end of the year 2 million Americans without the safety net that they have contributed to when they were employed as far as the unemployment compensation tax, as a part of benefits. 1.4 million Federal workers have already exhausted their State and Federal benefits. 685,000 workers will exhaust their benefits and be left stranded under this bill, 58,000 in my home State of Florida. There is a simple reason for this. This Congress is refusing to do what Democrats and Republicans came to do in the early 1990s during the recession and that is to add an additional 13 weeks of coverage after 13 weeks have expired from the Federal Government on top of 26 weeks of the State. There is no defense on the other side of the aisle as to why we should not repeat what Democrats and Republicans did in the 1990s to preserve the safety net. Who is being affected out there tonight by this? There are more than three unemployed workers looking for every job opening in the country today. 341,000 people lost their jobs in April. The unemployment rate is 6 percent. There are 8.8 million people out of work right now. One out of every five unemployed workers have been out for 6 months right now. The unemployment compensation trust fund today has $20 billion in it that is designed to be used exactly for the benefits the Republicans are refusing to provide tonight to these people who are looking for work. And who are these people? The average unemployed worker has been looking on 29 different occasions trying to find a job, 29 potential job openings. People over 45 on the average have applied for 42 different jobs without success. Two-thirds of unemployed workers have had to cut back on basic necessities for their families. One in four unemployed workers have lost their home. Six in ten unemployed workers have spent almost all their savings. Is this what you want to be proud of tonight? Is this what we are not capable of addressing tonight? Let us pass this bill but only after we adopt the benefits that were provided in the 1990s.

Mr. JIM DAVIS of Florida

Mr. JIM DAVIS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise in honor of Rev. M. Mason Walker, a prominent civil rights activist in Florida and the beloved pastor of St. James AME Church, who lost his battle with cancer last week. Raised in Dade City, Florida, Rev. Walker was only a teenager when he began speaking out for equal rights. In the mid 1960s, he joined other African-American students in integrating Pasco High School and was instrumental in organizing the Great Pasco County NAACP Youth Organization. Unafraid to fight for his beliefs, in 1964, Rev. Walker walked into the segregated Crest Restaurant in Dade City and demanded service. When asked to leave, he bravely said ``When I'm finished eating, I will leave.'' After moving to St. Petersburg, Rev. Walker continued his leadership in the civil rights movement. In 1973, Rev. Walker went to court to contest a provision in the City of St. Petersburg's charter which denied him a slot on the ballot for St. Petersburg City Council because he was not a property owner. Thanks to his efforts, the provision was ruled unconstitutional. Rev. Walker was an active member in the St. Petersburg chapter of the NAACP and a member of the executive board. He also served as Commissioner on the St. Petersburg Housing Authority Board, chairman of the Martin Luther King Commemorative Commission, board member of the Tampa Bay Holocaust Memorial Museum and Educational Center, as well as member of the Pinellas County Millennium Committee, the Community Alliance, Fair Housing Board, Southern Christian Leadership Conference, United Way advisory board, and the Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance. However, the members at St. James AME Church and Moore's Chapel AME Church, where he served as pastor, will best remember Rev. Walker for his selfless dedication to his congregations. On behalf of the entire Tampa Bay area, I extend my deepest sympathies to all his friends and family. Rev. Walker's fight for equality will never be forgotten.

Mr. DAVIS of Florida

Mr. DAVIS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise in honor of Doyle Elam Carlton, Jr., a sixth-generation Floridian whose love of our state, its people and its land made him one of Florida's finest public servants. Although Doyle was raised in Tampa, his heart was in Florida's countryside. A successful cattleman, Doyle held a deep respect for the land and was all cowboy through and through. However, most Floridians remember Doyle for his years in public service and the integrity with which he served. Doyle was a state senator for 10 years, and during that time he was repeatedly recognized for his leadership. His work in the Senate to secure funding for the eradication of the screwworm, which was devastating Florida's cattle, earned him his 1991 induction into the Florida Agriculture Hall of Fame. In 1957, he fought an attempt by the Legislature to close Florida's public schools rather than comply with the U.S. Supreme Court's order to integrate. In recognition of his efforts, the Florida Democratic party gave him the first LeRoy Collins Award for Political Courage. During Doyle's 1960 run for governor, he narrowly lost the Democratic runoff to Farris Bryant because he chose to face down segregationists rather than give into political pressures. Shortly before the runoff, Doyle publicly stated that he would not remove his children from a public school if it was integrated. Every Floridian who enjoys our annual Florida State Fair also owes a debt of gratitude to Doyle. In 1976, Doyle became a charter member of the Florida State Fair authority and served as chairman for more than a decade. Doyle and his wife helped create the Cracker Country exhibit at the Fair, a preserved collection of Florida's pioneer buildings. For his efforts the Tampa Historical Society presented him with the D.B. McKay Award for significant contributions to the cause of Florida's history. Doyle will also be remembered for his generosity to a host of charitable causes including the Hardee Memorial Hospital, Pioneer Park in Zolfo Springs and Tampa's Joshua House for unwed mothers. Doyle served on the Southern Baptist Convention's brotherhood Commission from 1956 to 1963 and as Vice President of the Florida Baptist Convention in 1960. He was an active member of Wauchula Baptist Church, where he was memorialized this week. Most of all, Doyle was a family man. A dedicated husband to his wife, Mildred, and father of three, Doyle always made time for family. On behalf of the Tampa Bay community, I would like to extend my deepest sympathies to Doyle's family and friends. Doyle's selfless, lifelong devotion to Florida and all its citizens made him a man for all seasons and a shining example for every Floridian he touched. Doyle encouraged and guided countless leaders throughout Florida and his example will continue to inspire the best in future generations of Floridians.

Mr. DAVIS of Florida

Mr. DAVIS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise in honor of the late James L. Ferman Sr., a pillar in the Tampa Bay society, whose devotion to his company was second only to his dedication to family and his remarkable commitment to strengthening his community. A native of Tampa, Ferman joined the Navy in 1942 after graduating from H.B. Plant High School and Emory University. After serving his country in both the Atlantic and Pacific as an intelligence officer and commander of a submarine chaser, James Ferman Sr. came home to oversee the expansion of his father's automobile company. Under his watch, Ferman Motor Car Company became the oldest continuously operating dealership in the country and one of the biggest dealerships in the state. Today Ferman Motor Car Company employs almost 1,000 people in four counties, and James Ferman Sr., the father of this company, was known for treating these employees like his own family. The integrity with which he led Ferman Motor explains why so many employees have stayed with the company for decades. James Ferman Sr. was also known for his work outside of the company. The 1966 Civitan Club's Citizen of the Year dedicated much of his life and wealth to charitable causes in Tampa Bay and beyond. Ferman served the community in countless capacities including as a board member of the Port Authority, the Chamber of Commerce, the United Way and the University of Tampa, and as an active member of the Hyde Park United Methodist Church. James Ferman Sr.'s contributions to making Tampa Bay a better place to live will never be forgotten and will continue to inspire generations of citizens to serve and lead their communities as he did. On behalf of all of us, I would like to extend my deepest sympathies to his family.

Mr. DAVIS of Florida

Mr. DAVIS of Florida. Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. DAVIS of Florida. I thank the gentleman for yielding, and I thank him for expressing his attention and his cooperation and good faith on this. There are legitimate concerns that the gentleman has referred to about the prerogative of Congress to direct the inventory to proceed with the nonmoratorium areas. That may have been the point he was making. My question to the gentleman is, It is not his intention to encourage as part of the conference committee process the reinsertion of the inventory language with respect to the moratoria areas, is it?

Mr. DAVIS of Florida. I thank the gentleman.

Mr. DAVIS of Florida. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding me this time. I want to start by responding to some of the legitimate points that were raised by the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Tauzin), the chairman of the Committee on Energy and Commerce. In particular, the one point he said that I most strongly disagree with, the gentleman from Louisiana made the point that this is about knowing things we do not know; that the purpose of the inventory language is to find out things we do not know about the level of supply that exists in the shores right off the coast of Florida or California or others. I respectfully disagree. We know the level of supplies out there. These areas have all been previously inventoried. There is no doubt as to the supply, or in the case of the waters right off the coast of Florida, I would say the lack of supply. And so this is not about fear of the unknown. What this is about is whether to proceed with predrilling activity. This is about whether to proceed with going out into the Gulf of Mexico and other parts of the country and moving the dirt around and taking all the steps that would be taken towards proceeding with drilling. I think because it is the will of the House not to proceed with drilling in violation of the moratorium, there is a much-appreciated consensus today in support of the amendment. What it is fair to say is not known is what happens if the drilling proceeds in these areas close to coasts like Florida, my home, and the level of risk as far as environmental impact in Pensacola, the home of the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Miller), or the Tampa Bay area, my home. This is a risk that we as Floridians do not choose to accept. If it is characterized as politics, and I hope politics is not infesting this energy bill, but if it is characterized as politics, what it really is about is the fact that a single oil spill off the coast of Florida or many of these coasts would be incredibly destructive not just to the precious environment that attracts us to Florida and keeps us in Florida but to our economy. It would be a threat to the entire coastline of Florida, because news and the facts of a spill on the coast of Florida would be a tragedy for the entire coast of Florida, both the west and east coast. The gentleman from Louisiana referred to the history. I think it is important to bring up the history. In 1982, long before I got to Congress, the Congress started with putting the moratorium in place we are discussing today. It is very important to point out that never in the history of the Congress since 1982 have we proceeded to inventory, to do predrilling activity in moratorium areas. It is a wise decision today not to reverse that course. This moratorium that we are talking about has been in place in part because of an executive order that in 1982 was put into place. This moratorium has continued through Democratic and Republican administrations. There is no reason not to honor that today. Let me also mention a little bit more about the eastern Gulf of Mexico. The eastern Gulf of Mexico, we do know the facts about supply. The supply that has been previously inventoried is very minimal in relation to the central and western parts of the gulf where I think the chairman has and will continue to understandably support drilling. The supply in those areas approaches almost 20 billion barrels of oil in the central gulf, 12 billion barrels of oil in the western gulf, 1 billion in the eastern gulf. We know the supply in the eastern Gulf of Mexico is very minimal; and we further know that the risk to Florida's beaches, which are enjoyed not just by Floridians but by people all over the United States and all over the world, is significant and there is a small supply of oil involved. It is very credible for the chairman to talk about what the facts are and those are the facts. I would like to close by simply asking the gentleman from Louisiana a question. My question to the gentleman which was the same question I directed to the chairman of the Committee on Resources is, Mr. Chairman, as I understand your statement earlier, it is not your intention in the conference committee to support the reinsertion of the language that is being removed today by this amendment?

Mr. DAVIS of Florida. I yield to the gentleman from Louisiana.

Mr. DAVIS of Florida. I just want to close by pledging to the chairman my support to continue the drilling in the central and western part of the gulf where there is ample supply and apparently a different standard about environmental degradation with respect to that coastline.

Mr. DAVIS of Florida

Mr. DAVIS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise in honor of Robert William Saunders, Sr. Last week, Bob lost his life to injuries from an automobile accident that occurred last month, and Florida lost a fearless champion for equal rights. Bob was best known for his tireless efforts as field director of Florida's National Association for the Advancement of Colored People from 1952 to 1966. Bob took over after his predecessor, Harry T. Moore and Moore's wife, Harriette, were assassinated in a Christmas night bombing of their home--a crime which remains unsolved. Undaunted, Bob gave Florida's NAACP his all, traveling throughout the state to organize local chapters and battling discrimination at every level. Bob helped organize bus boycotts, sit-ins, voter registration drives and protests, including the 1963 March on Tallahassee, staged just five months prior to the famous March on Washington. He fought for affirmative action and school integration and fought against police brutality and segregation at public beaches and housing. Bob went on to serve for a decade as the U.S. Office of Economic Opportunity's chief of civil rights for the Southeast, and to work as director of Hillsborough County's Office of Equal Opportunity. His unfailing and selfless dedication to the pursuit of equal rights, despite public rebuke and personal threats, earned Bob enormous respect throughout Florida, as well as an honorary doctorate in public service from the University of Tampa. On behalf of the Tampa Bay community, I would like to extend my deepest sympathies to Bob's family. His groundbreaking efforts will not be forgotten.

Mr. DAVIS of Florida

Mr. DAVIS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, unfortunately, I must rise in opposition to H.R. 1463, the Smallpox Emergency Personnel Protection Act, because the House Republican Leadership has chosen to schedule this bill through Suspension of the Rules, a process normally used for non-controversial legislation. In addition, they further violated the legislative process by not allowing this bill to go through the normal committee process. By doing so, the leadership has ignored the legitimate and important issues raised by a considerable number of members of Congress and unions representing ``First Responders,'' the very group of people this legislation seeks to protect. Because of the lack of input from all parties involved, this legislation will fail to accomplish its central goal, the inoculation of ``First Responders.'' If the Leadership had allowed fair and open debate on this legislation through the normal legislative process, I would seriously consider supporting this legislation rather than opposing it. Because we have prohibited amendments and debate on some important issues, I must vote against this legislation. Through the normal legislative process, amendments could have been offered to address some deficiencies in this bill. I know that our colleagues, Representatives Capps and Waxman, worked hard to try to address many of my concerns. I'd like to take a moment to outline some of my misgivings with this legislation. My deepest concern about this bill, as we are considering it today, is that we are mandating that states develop a vaccine compensation program; however, we are not providing any funds to our states to fund this mandate. Mr. Chairman, we all know that most of our states are facing as serious financial problems as is the federal government. To pass this bill without any commitment to a funding level is wrong and a slap in the face to our valued ``First Responders.'' I am also opposed to the coercive nature of this bill that forces ``First Responders'' to receive vaccinations within 180 days to remain eligible for compensation. The bill provides no exceptions in any event, including if the public health department is unable to meet the deadline or if a worker has a temporary illness that prevents him or her from receiving the vaccination. In addition, we should have openly debated an amendment that increases the onetime lump sum payment of $262,100 to families of individuals who die or develop total permanent disability as a result of vaccination. This amount is only equivalent to 5-to-6 years of salary for the average nurse or firefighter--hardly adequate compensation for a family of dependents forced to live the rest of their lives without a working breadwinner. Likewise, this legislation caps the lifetime payout for partial or temporary disability at $262,100 instead providing compensation for the duration of the disability. A thorough education and pre-screening process could significantly reduce the number of individuals adversely affected by inoculation. This is the recommendation of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in response to recent deaths surrounding smallpox vaccinations. This bill, as written, fails to adequately address the CDC's concerns. I applaud our colleague, Mr. Burr, for taking the lead on bringing this issue to the Floor of the House. I also commend Mr. Waxman and Ms. Capps who were actively working to address the deficiencies I've just highlighted. I regret that we as a body are unable to debate the solutions they propose. I look forward to working with these distinguished members in the future to find better ways to protect ``First Responders'' from the threat of smallpox.

Mr. DAVIS of Florida

Mr. DAVIS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Oregon (Ms. Hooley) for yielding. Tonight the Congress starts its debate as to the budget resolution, which represents a statement by the Nation as to our priorities as a country. On the eve of war, this is a more solemn event than ever, and I think it is fair to say that the United States citizens expected their Congress more so than ever to come together, Democrats and Republicans, the House and Senate, the Congress and the President, on a realistic plan, not politics, not gestures, not symbolism, something that truly represents a plan to keep our country secure and strong and to plan for the future, as we are expected to do as leaders. What I would like to do tonight is to highlight in what I hope is the most accurate fashion possible the Republican budget resolution and the Democratic budget resolution and along the way to express my opinions in terms of how I think we bring this all together. First of all, I think it is fair to say that the Republican budget resolution has as its centerpiece a tax cut over 10 years in the amount of about $1.3 trillion. This is truly a very significant tax cut. I think it is also fair to say that virtually every Member of Congress serving here today has promised the people that we represent that we intend to enact Medicare coverage of prescription drugs in order to deal with a growing crisis in our country as far as seniors and disabled and other people lacking access to critical prescription drugs. And so both budget resolutions must be measured against that standard. The Republican budget resolution, it is fair to say, sets aside $28 billion, $28 billion to cover the cost of Medicare coverage for prescription drugs, I might add a very minimal fraction of what the President proposed as that cost. In addition, it is fair to say that the current version of the Republican budget resolution calls for significant cuts in spending, some of which have already been referred to here tonight. These cuts are going to be very difficult to defend to the people at home. They are significant cuts in veterans benefits. They are cuts in student loans. They are cuts in the Medicaid program that States that are struggling to meet their budgets right now are relying upon to furnish a safety net there. They are cuts in funding for the environment. These are significant cuts. Particularly like a State like mine, Florida, these cuts will have real impact on people at home. Finally, the Republican budget resolution calls for a deficit of $319 billion in the next year, a staggering deficit, one that will bring with it a significant interest cost that every man, woman, and child will be paying in this country as the Federal Government goes deeper into debt. It is also important to point out on the eve of war that the Republican budget resolution provides not a single penny for what we all know will be a very expensive war in Iraq, not to mention perhaps an even more expensive cost of dealing with Iraq after Saddam Hussein has been disarmed, after Saddam Hussein is gone. I think the weaknesses, the limitations in the Republican budget resolution are terribly self-evident. At a time where I expect the President will surely call upon the Nation to sacrifice, to participate in the commitment our men and women abroad are making and their families are making without them here at home, it is not the priority of our country to call for a $1.3 trillion tax cut. Taking that tax cut is not the type of commitment, not the kind of sacrifice people have in mind in supporting our troops and supporting our President and supporting our Nation. Cutting veterans programs, depriving students who have worked so hard to get through high school the opportunity to go to college, losing students loans, these are not the things that made our country great. This is not what we stand for. This is not what we are fighting about. These are not our priorities. Let me talk about the Democratic budget resolution and start by saying in fairness to the Republicans, we clearly are in a challenging situation here in terms of how to juggle our competing priorities. The Democratic budget resolution, which I strongly support, represents an attempt to build on the more constructive features of the Republican budget resolution and the more constructive features of the President's budget and then attempts to improve upon them and not to simply criticize them. So let me highlight some of those points. The first is that the Democratic budget resolution calls for a tax cut of approximately $136 billion compared to $1.3 trillion in the Republican tax cut. The centerpiece of the Republican tax cut is the elimination of a tax on dividends for some corporations through a very complicated process that will not take effect for some time. That has been presented as a stimulus. I think it is fair to say that is at best a fundamental change in tax policy, and because it has no effect any time soon, it is not really going to stimulate the economy at a time when we need the economy to be stimulated. In contrast to that, the proposed Democratic budget alternative calls for immediately putting into effect a more accelerated type of depreciation for businesses, an attempt by the Federal Government to say to small businesses, medium-sized businesses across the country, we want to encourage you to invest in your company, buy the equipment you need, make the purchases you need to keep your business going, and you are going to pay less taxes on that as part of our attempt to help stimulate the economy. The Democratic budget alternative also makes permanent the child care tax credit and the marriage penalty elimination, which benefits a huge number of Americans and will put money in their pockets, which will help stimulate spending and the economy. On the spending side, the Democratic budget alternative does not make the cuts in veterans' benefits, in student loans, in environmental programs. It keeps those programs continuing. It funds them to take into account growth and inflation. I cannot think of a worse statement of our priorities than to be cutting veteran benefits in the days ahead. The Democratic budget alternative does not do that. With respect to prescription drug coverage under Medicare, the Republican budget alternative calls for $28 billion. The Democratic budget alternative calls for $528 billion. This is a realistic sum. This is a number that Democrats and Republicans ought to be able to work with. It is not dramatically different than where the President started. It is a higher number. This is an attempt to find common ground to finally do what the politicians have promised people at home for far too long, to begin to cover prescription drugs. Now, I have to say, this is not the ideal plan. If you are serious about attacking deficits, if you are serious about funding security at home and abroad, this is not the most elaborate, the most generous Medicare prescription drug plan Democrats might offer or this Congress might pass. But it is an attempt to juggle competing priorities. It is an attempt to start a modest Medicare prescription drug plan that, over time, as our country regains peace and prosperity, we can truly fund at the level our seniors deserve. Another important difference between the Democratic and Republican budget alternatives is homeland security. The Democratic alternative provides 34 billion additional dollars above and beyond the Republican budget alternative for homeland security; $10 billion of that is to the States. In the last couple of days, the Secretary of Homeland Security, Tom Ridge, has ordered Governors throughout the country to go on a heightened state of alert. Security is not free. This will cost money. Virtually every State in this country, including Florida, is struggling because of the economy, because of deficits in their own budgets. The Federal Government needs to step in as a partner and help provide security. The Federal Government, in my judgment, has been derelict in its duty in not stepping up to the plate and doing this sooner. This Congress recently missed another opportunity to provide funding for first responders, for equipment and training for police and fire. We cannot make the same mistake again on the eve of war. The Democratic budget alternative provides $34 billion additional above and beyond the Republican budget alternative. This is something Democrats and Republicans should agree on. This is something that every citizen in this country expects. Finally, let me make two other points. One is that the Democratic budget alternative proposes to bring the country back into a balanced Federal budget by 2010. Deficits do matter. They affect interest rates in the long term. They have a lot to do with the ability of our country to plan for the future, the retirement of the baby-boomers, to keep Social Security and Medicare solvent. Now, if the Democratic budget alternative sounds too good to be true, it is because there are some difficult choices there. Let me close by mentioning a couple of the difficult choices. The Democratic budget alternative revisits President Bush's last tax cut, which was based on an assumption the economy was going to be growing at a dramatically positive rate, and that we would be enjoying peace and prosperity for years to come. Well, we know, painfully so, that is not the case. What the Democratic budget alternative does is to freeze the Bush tax cut, President Bush's tax cut, with respect to the highest income earners, in order to generate revenue to pay for homeland security, to pay for the cost of the war in Iraq, to pay for what this country is going to have to do after we successfully disarm Saddam Hussein. These are the priorities of the country. This is what is expected of us. The other way that the Democratic budget alternative funds security, funds a meaningful prescription drug benefit and achieves a balanced budget by 2010 is to eliminate the repeal of the estate tax. It would say instead what Democrats and Republicans should have agreed upon a long time ago, as proposed by the gentleman from North Dakota (Mr. Pomeroy): We will establish immediately a $6 million credit from the estate tax for couples, $3 million per individual, that will result in 98 to 99 percent of American citizens avoiding the estate tax. The effect of that is, again, to generate the revenue that allows us to keep this country secure and strong and back to a balanced budget so that we can achieve what we have been challenged to face tonight, to support our men and women abroad, to keep our promise to our veterans, and this next generation of veterans serving our country so bravely, and serve our people and get our economy back to the strength it deserves so we can be strong not just abroad, but at home as well. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding me time.

Mr. DAVIS of Florida

Mr. DAVIS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise in honor of Ramon G. Nunez, publisher of the Tampa Record and a passionate political activist who lived every moment of his life with tremendous tenacity and enthusiasm. Ramon was known across Tampa Bay for his remarkable work ethic and positive attitude, but it was his love for people that paved his way in the political community. Ramon received his first break by working for gubernatorial candidate Fuller Warren. He made such an impression that when Warren became Governor, he gave Ramon his first governmental job. Ramon spent the next 60 years in the center of Tampa politics, earning the respect of many political figures. However, Ramon made his greatest mark on the Tampa Bay community through his many newspaper publications. Ramon was associated with or owned several weekly publications such as: Ybor City Sunday News, Tampa Interbay News, Tampa Interbay Record, La Tradduccion Prensa and the Tampa Record. Despite all of his commitments in the community, Ramon, the father of five daughters, always found time for family. I would like to express my heartfelt sympathies to Ramon's family. Ramon Nunez will be remembered in Tampa Bay as a hard working, fiercely loyal and very warm blooded pillar of our community. The Tampa Bay area will miss him greatly.

Mr. DAVIS of Florida

Mr. DAVIS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me the time. I think, what is a relatively somber time in Washington as we debate issues about national defense and having a strong and smart defense, that it is appropriate that we take time to honor another collection of heroes whom I am terribly proud to speak on behalf of today. As a lifelong resident of Tampa, and now a representative of the Tampa Bay area, as all of us will be that speak today, along with some other Floridians, I take tremendous pride in offering this resolution, with others, not to celebrate just a victory, because that is not exactly what happened on Sunday. The Bucs did not just win, I think they won with class and they won with style. It is not just about winning, it is about how you win, and the Bucs won the right way. As a resident of the community, I am so terribly proud of each of these individuals, the attention that has come to them and will continue to come to them, about the personal sacrifices they have made to play their hearts out on the field, the terrific contributions they are making to our community as leaders, particularly with young people, and all kinds of scholarships and charities that I do not have time to talk about today. It just makes me very proud and really speaks to why these people are leaders on the field and off the field. The other important thing that has happened in my community, that my colleague, the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Putnam), alluded to, is the tremendous solidarity this team has brought. It has brought together people of all walks of life, an important lesson for Congress to learn, about how you can get people to overlook differences of all kinds that we can imagine to focus simply on the goal, and celebrating victory that has been many, many years in the coming. I would like to share a few facts about the history of the team for those people that are just beginning to pay attention to this truly amazing story about the Bucs' victory. Since 1976, when the Bucs started as an expansion team, the Tampa Bay area has embraced this team and cherished and supported the team through some very tough times. In the first season, the Bucs went 0 and 26. The former coach, John McKay, was asked after one game what he thought of the team's execution, and his response was, he was all for execution. There were bright spots in those earlier years as well. Hall of Fame defensive lineman and current University of South Florida athletic director Lee Roy Selmon and the 1980 NFC championship team were a stellar performance for the Bucs, although the Bucs lost that game barely. When Rich McKay, a former high school classmate of mine, took over the general manager position, and Tony Dungy, who is just a wonderful person and terrific coach, hit the field, things began to turn around. The owner of the team, Malchom Glazer, began to invest the money in the team that needed to be invested from the beginning. As a result, in the 6 years after that, the Bucs made the playoffs 5 times. They reached the NFC championship game in 2000 and became league leaders in Pro Bowl appearances over that time and began to build this incredible, strong and smart defense. John Gruden, who has been mentioned, is a story that speaks for himself. He is a wonderful coach. He showed true genius on the field. The defensive coordinator, Monte Kiffen, showed how to play defensive football in ways that will be a model for years to come. The game is over now. No matter what happens next, the Bucs will always be remembered as the winners of Super Bowl XXXVII. Nothing can ever take that away from them. I want to congratulate not just the team and the coaches, but all the players and coaches that came before them and laid the foundation that we are celebrating today, as well as all the players and fans that have really sacrificed to support this team. I want to finally close by urging my colleagues to support the resolution, and I want to especially urge the Members of Congress in the Oakland area to support this resolution. I know it was tough to lose to the Bucs, but, clearly, the Bucs demonstrated they were entitled to this. A lot of people talk about the west coast and the Bay area as a very important part of the country. That has been true for a long time. The San Francisco, Oakland, Silicon Valley area is what we all think of nationally when we think of the Bay area in the west coast. But, guess what? The Bucs have helped us remember that part of the future of this country is another west coast, another bay area, and it is the Tampa Bay area. It is the west coast of Florida, as these terrific Members of Congress will speak to here today, all of whom are really overshadowed and humbled to be in the company of a wonderful group of players and competitors and citizens of Florida. So, Mr. Speaker, I again would urge adoption of the resolution.

Mr. DAVIS of Florida

Mr. DAVIS of Florida. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding to me. I had just before Christmas returned to Florida from a 10-day trip to the Middle East with Wayne Owens and the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Price), who will speak shortly, as well as Danny Abraham with the Center. And I wanted to start by thanking Wayne's family and the people of Utah for sharing him with us, citizens of the United States, Members of Congress, the many people who were touched by Wayne. Wayne was a wonderful husband, a wonderful father, a wonderful citizen and he gave so much because the people of Utah saw fit to send him to Congress to equip him with the knowledge that he used through the last minute of his life. Wayne was one of the most selfless people I had met who served in this body. He had a wonderful sense of humor, a very strong sense of conviction, and something that I really came to appreciate more in the most recent trip to the Middle East, just a certain genius about him, a remarkable level of insight into people, people of all kinds, people who never could have been in the same room with one another, on different sides of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, on different sides of other issues that separated us from countries like Syria and Saudi Arabia. But Wayne truly believed in people and I think did his best to see the best in everyone he met and to draw that out, and I think that Wayne played a very important role in the diplomacy of this country in having some painfully direct and difficult conversations with the heads of states in some of these Arab nations and having some very frank and constructive conversations with the officials in the Israeli government. Wayne Owens knew an awful lot about the Middle East and really would have been entitled to have been incredibly very cynical about what is happening over there right now, even hopeless, as many well-intentioned wise people are. But Wayne, like a lot of leaders who have made this country great and the world great, was an incurable optimist, and he til his dying day never stopped radiating the hope that he had that the better angels, as Abraham Lincoln would have put it, of all the people he had come in contact with would ultimately prevail, and that the United States would in the end play an important role in bringing about peace and tranquility in the Arab-Israeli dispute. I always thought to myself that if there ever had been or could be an election to choose the mayor of the Middle East, my candidate would have been Wayne Owens. In the last trip that the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Price) and I took, at every major airport we passed through in the Middle East, Wayne ran into people that knew him, respected him, who loved him, who had not seen him in 10 years because Wayne was one of those people that you never forgot. I have to say that as a United States citizen, I was proud and will always be proud not just to call Wayne Owens my friend and someone who has helped develop me, but someone who I think represented the best things about our country in a part of the world where people are judging us very carefully, to see what we are made of and whether we really live up to the things that we say our country stands for because Wayne represented the very best of this country. He has set a standard for diplomacy that we will all have to work very hard to live up to. Wayne Owens' untimely death on the shores of Tel Aviv is tragic but perhaps the place where Wayne would have chosen, in between the United States, his beloved home of Utah, and on the shore of a country he loved dearly. Wayne's tragic, premature death gives us another reason to do what Wayne Owens would have asked us to do if he were standing here today, and that is, to recommit ourselves to peace in the Middle East, to serve as an honest broker, to stand for the values that have helped this country get to where it is today, to bring about a Palestinian state that respects the security of Israel, to help the Palestinians find a way to govern themselves, bring the terror to an end and give the Israelis the chance to live the dream they have always had in that part of the world. Let us renew ourselves to the cause of peace in the Middle East. It is another way that we can honor Wayne Owens, and I want to thank the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Cannon) and the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Matheson) for all the things they have done in Utah today and will be doing in the future to honor Wayne Owens, and we are all blessed in that.

Mr. DAVIS of Florida

Mr. DAVIS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise in honor of my good friend Douglas McClurg, who will be remembered in the Tampa Bay community as a prominent and highly esteemed bankruptcy attorney, a Vietnam War hero and a man who was deeply devoted to his faith, family and community. Since 1992, Doug worked as a bankruptcy lawyer for Hill, Ward & Henderson, and he was the founding director and former president and chairman of the Tampa Bay Bankruptcy Bar Association. Doug handled several high profile bankruptcy cases in the Tampa Bay area and was highly respected by his colleagues for the quality of his work and character. But what was most impressive about Doug was his ability to successfully balance a demanding career with his responsibilities to his family and his community. Doug was very active in the lives of his children and committed to helping young people. He sat on the executive board of the Gulf Ridge Council of the Boy Scouts and was chairman of the board for Young Life, a Christian outreach program for middle and high school students. Doug also served as a trustee for the Tampa Museum of Art, past president of the Tampa Club and trustee of the University of Florida Law Center Association. As a member of the U.S. Special Forces, Doug served a combat tour during the Vietnam War and earned a Purple Heart, Bronze star, Combat Infantry Badge and Air Medal. On behalf of the Tampa Bay community, I would like to extend my heartfelt sympathies to Doug's family. Doug led a very full life in too short of a period of time, and we will never forget him, his contributions to many and the example he set for all of us to aspire to reach.

Mr. DAVIS of Florida

Mr. DAVIS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take a moment to honor Corporal Antonio Sledd for his courage and sacrifice for our country. On October 8, 2002, Tony was killed when two Kuwaiti terrorists opened fire on members of the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit training in the Persian Gulf. Tony was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, but grew up in Tampa, where he attended Gaither High School. After graduating in 2000, Tony joined the Marines and earned the National Defense Service medal for serving during a time of conflict and a Deployment Ribbon for serving abroad for more than 90 days. At his funeral, he was awarded the Purple Heart and promoted from Lance Corporal to Corporal. Friends and family remember Tony for his enthusiasm and devotion to his country. It was Tony who encouraged his twin brother, Michael, to join the Marines. Tony was planning a lifetime of service--after serving in the military he hoped to earn a degree in criminology, so he could pursue a career in the FBI. Tony's friends call him a hero and remember his sense of humor and how he went out of his way to take care of others. In honor of Tony, the community created a Gaither High School Education/Scholarship Fund to help future students who share Tony's dreams. On behalf of the Tampa Bay community, I would like to extend my deepest sympathies to Tony's family. He was an American hero who will be remembered for his courage and sacrifice.